Some thoughts regarding Syria / Iraq and Christians in / fleeing those areas.
A couple of examples from history:
- Jesus speaking about fall of Jerusalem in Matthew 24.
Advice - be aware of the times, make plans, be single minded, pray.
Pray - not that it won't happen, but for weather and timing of flight. - Armenian massacre 100 years ago.
God gave a boy a prophecy about this which circulated the area.
Nothing happened for several years - prophecy ignored / ridiculed.
Among those who fled was the family of the guy who founded the Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship.
Similar stories affecting whole communities, families or individuals coming out of Syria, Iraq - or elsewhere?
How should we live / plan our lives?
Apostle James wrote about making business plans.
'If the Lord wills' - not looking for a disaster, but laying plans before him as LORD.
Recorded events in lives of King David and the Apostle Paul.
Occasions when God spoke do this/that, other times 'it seemed good to do this or that'.
Clearly some 'it seemed good' events in David's life not that good - but I think general idea holds.
In life of Elijah God sent the Ravens - but no record of God giving cooking instructions!
God is for us not against us - John 3v16
We/I expect to see practical manifestation of that.
I see it like speaking in tongues - God does not grab my jaw and move it.
I make the sound and in faith trust God with the utterance.
Similarly I take responsibility for actions in my life, lay them before him as LORD and in faith trust him.
How should we respond to current Syria / Iraq type situations and their impact?
What should our attitude to refugees be?
Jesus gave this instruction - "When persecuted in one town flee to another" Matthew 10v23
Might I find myself among such 'refugees' at some point?